Dark Blue Hair
by S. Muffin
Summary: SapphirePearlShipping. We all need a someone to rely on, someone who will listen to our problems and brush all of the troubles out of our hair.


**A/N**: Finally jumping onto the SapphirePearlShipping train because I love these two so much! This is just a short, fluffy oneshot to celebrate my adoration for May and Dawn, and Valentine's Day as well!

I am dedicating this story to my best friend and waifu Aly, known here as wubbzy. This story is my gift to her. Happy Valentine's Day, love! :) You are such an amazing person, you inspire me so much and I am forever grateful to have you in my life. I don't know what I'd do without you! If you guys don't know who she is, please go read her stories! She's an incredibly talented author.

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**Dark Blue Hair**  
By S. Muffin

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"Thanks again for letting me stay over tonight, May!"

May grinned and reached out for her best friend's hands. It had been months since she and Dawn had a chance to spend quality time together, but now that Dawn was visiting Hoenn in order to compete in a contest alongside her, they had plenty to catch up on. The two excitedly started laughing and jumping around in small circles, before settling down onto May's queen-sized bed.

"Of course!" she replied. "I'm just so glad you're in town. We're going to have so much fun at the contest tomorrow!"

Dawn's expression suddenly fell. "Yeah... It should be great."

May tilted her head in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Sighing quietly, Dawn shrugged her shoulders. "Not really... I just nervous whenever I think about tomorrow, that's all."

"Nervous?" May repeated. "How come?"

Dawn lowered her gaze and shook her head. "I dunno."

May hummed thoughtfully, wondering what she could do in order to cheer her friend up and ease her mind. Looking across her bedroom, she spotted Dawn's purse sitting in the corner next to her overnight bag. She bounced over to it and quickly dug out the blue-haired girl's hairbrush.

"Want me to brush your hair?" May asked hopefully, a small smile on her face as she held the hairbrush out in front of her.

Dawn looked up from her lap, her eyes widening briefly, before a small smile of her own appeared onto her face. She nodded.

May sat back down on the bed beside the younger girl. "Turn around, please!"

May slowly began to work the brush through Dawn's long, dark blue hair. Dawn closed her eyes and sighed, feeling her entire body begin to relax. She recalled the way May had brushed her hair the night before the Wallace Cup, realizing why she had offered to do it again now. She had been nervous then, too, afraid that after two failed attempts at winning a contest she would once again let herself down. May's words of advice and the caring yet simple gesture of brushing her hair made her feel infinitely better.

"So," May started, moving onto a new section of hair, "tell me what's on your mind, my dear."

Dawn closed her eyes, tipping her head back slightly to allow May more access to her hair. "Well, it's like I said. I'm just nervous. It's been quite a while since I last competed in Hoenn, so I feel a little out of my element."

"But you did so well in Kanto this past year!" May exclaimed. "I watched you on T.V. and you were excellent! It's not easy to earn second place in a Grand Festival, not to mention that was the second time you were a runner-up."

Dawn felt her heart swell with pride from May's praise.

"And you did really well in the Hoenn circuit the last time you were here, too," May went on. She was now slowly dragging the brush from the crown of Dawn's head all the way down to the tips, repeating the motion in careful strokes. "It was your second Grand Festival ever and you were in the Top Four."

"Yeah, I know," Dawn said.

"So, why is this time different?" May asked, a hint of concern now present in her voice. "Hoenn contests haven't really changed much since then. You're going to be amazing."

Dawn looked back down into her lap.

"It's different because I'll be competing against you," she replied quietly.

May paused, the hairbrush hovering just above the top of Dawn's head.

"Oh," she said, not knowing what else would suffice as a reply. "Well... why is that such a big deal? We've competed against each other before!"

"The last time we competed against each other was at the Wallace Cup when we were still kids," Dawn elaborated. "We're older now. We're adults and both of us have a lot more experience, but..."

May frowned. She reached out and touched Dawn's shoulder encouragingly.

Dawn sighed. "I might have been runner-up on two separate occasions, but you won the Sinnoh Grand Festival the second time you entered it. I watched your match, too. It's not that I'm worried about losing to you if we do end up going against each other, because if you won it would be a well-deserved win. I'm just worried that I'm going to make a complete fool of myself in front of you."

"_What_?" May asked incredulously. "Why would you make a fool out of yourself?"

Dawn blushed and quickly turned around to face her friend. "Because being a coordinator is something that you're just so _good _at!"

"It's something you're good at too, though!" May replied while laughing. "Honestly, Dawn, you really don't sound like yourself right now. Why are you worrying about all of this now?"

"Compared to what you've accomplished as of late, I don't know how much competition I'd be for you," Dawn said. "And I really want our battle to be worth your while."

"Oh, come on! Seriously, Dawn, you're worrying for nothing," May chided, examining her handiwork. "You're being way too hard on yourself and I think you know it."

"I know, I know, it sounds so silly," Dawn conceded with another sigh. "But what makes you so _sure_?"

As she set the hairbrush down on the nightstand, May reached out and gently tucked a lock of Dawn's dark blue hair behind her ear. Dawn truly was one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen, possessing such a natural air of beauty about her. The way her eyes glimmered even in the dim light of the room was nothing short of magical. The way her hair perfectly framed the features of her face and flowed elegantly across her shoulders, even after spending the entire day tucked beneath a hat, took May's breath away. And her smile—goodness, she felt like she would do anything to see Dawn smile again. The sad expression she wore now made May's heart break, and the way she was being so hard on herself was so unlike her normally confident and exuberant self. May couldn't bear to witness it any longer.

May allowed her hand to linger by the side of the other Coordinator's face for a moment, the backs of her knuckles lightly grazing over Dawn's cheekbone. She marveled at how soft Dawn's skin was beneath her touch, noticing the way it gradually began to turn pink, before finally realizing that she was staring mesmerized into Dawn's eyes and still hadn't spoken a word in response to her question.

Reluctantly, May drew her hand back.

"Because," she began, offering her friend a reassuring smile, "you're one of the best coordinators I know, Dawn. You've accomplished a lot over these last few years, so there's absolutely no reason to start doubting yourself now, especially because of me. You're smart, dedicated, really talented, and, most importantly, you have a real passion for what you do. That's what makes you so especially amazing. You love it, you _live _for it, and it shows."

Dawn felt her eyes involuntarily well up with tears, the blush on her cheeks growing warmer. Without another word, she rocketed herself forward and wrapped her arms tightly around May's shoulders, pulling her into a fierce hug.

May's smile broadened as she returned the gesture, her arms winding around Dawn's waist. She pressed the younger girl closer and savored the feeling of being able to hold her in her arms.

"Thank you, May," Dawn murmured against the brunette's shoulder. "I really needed to hear that."

"Of course," May replied. "I'm only telling the truth, you know. And deep down, I know that _you_ know it's the truth, too. You wouldn't be who you are if you didn't."

"It just means a lot hearing it from you, though," Dawn explained as she pulled back. Her arms remained in a loose grip around May's shoulders. "Ever since I first met you—heard about you, even—I've always admired you and looked up to you. Right before we met, Ash would tell me all about your contests and what a great coordinator you were, and once I actually saw you perform in the Wallace Cup I was completely in awe of you. That's why, if we battle each other, I want to do a good job. You're my idol."

May's eyes widened, a blush of her own now starting to spread across her face. "Dawn..."

"Everything you said about me," Dawn continued, "those are all of the same things that I admire about you. You're such an amazing coordinator, May! A much better one than I am."

"That's not true and you know it!" May cut in then. Her cheeks were now completely red with embarrassment. "You're flattering me way too much, Dawn."

A teasing smirk tugged at Dawn's lips. "I'm only telling the truth, you know," she mimicked.

May started to laugh, shaking her head at the way Dawn had used her own words against her. Dawn began laughing as well.

"Thank you," May said a few moments later, readjusting her hold around Dawn's waist and pulling the younger girl towards her for another hug. "I'm really glad that I was able to inspire you in that way, Dawn. Hearing that means the world and more to me. I still don't think I'm better than you, but I really am grateful that you hold me in such a high regard. You're the best. I mean that in every way possible."

Dawn eagerly returned the second embrace, once again burying her face against May's shoulder. May nestled her face comfortably against the top of Dawn's head in return, kissing it lightly.

"I believe we just had ourselves a moment here," May noted with another short laugh.

Giggling, Dawn simply held on tighter. "I believe you're right. Care to enjoy it for a bit longer?"

May nodded, sighing contentedly into Dawn's beautiful dark blue hair. "Definitely."


End file.
